Central Executive Training (CET) for ADHD

Florida State University

Status: Completed

Conditions: ADHD

Treatments: Behavioral: Central Executive Training: Inhibitory Control; Behavioral: Central Executive Training: Working Memory

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03324464

R01MH115048

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of the current project is to assess the efficacy of Central Executive Training (CET) for youth with ADHD. CET is a new, computerized training intervention that targets specific components of the working memory system. Two versions of CET were developed as part of our R34, each targeting a different combinations of executive functions. The final CET protocol reflects the contributions and feedback of a diverse group of caregivers, children with ADHD, and recognized experts in human cognition, ADHD treatment research, randomized control trial (RCT) intervention design methods, serious game theory and task design, cognitive training, and the role of executive dysfunction in ADHD.

Enrollment: 251 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 8 to 12 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Children ages 8-12 with principal ADHD diagnoses (via Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders semi-structured clinical interviewing (K-SADS)
• Parent AND teacher ratings in clinical/borderline range based on age and gender on ADHD-RS-5 or BASC-3 Attention Problems/Hyperactivity subscales
• Below average or lower working memory on at least one pre-treatment WM test. All ADHD presentations will be eligible.

Exclusion criteria

• gross neurological, sensory, or motor impairment
• history of seizure disorder, psychosis, bipolar, or severe dysregulation disorders that may interfere with study participation (substance use, disruptive mood dysregulation, intermittent explosive, reactive attachment)
• intellectual disability or Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V) short-form intelligence quotient (FSIQ) < 78 (1.5 standard deviations (SD) below mean)
• conditions requiring acute intervention, e.g., active suicidality
• non-English speaking child or parent.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Quadruple Blind

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251 participants in 2 patient groups

CET-Working Memory (WM)

Experimental group

Description:

Central Executive Training: Working Memory

Treatment:

Behavioral: Central Executive Training: Working Memory

CET-Behavioral Inhibition (BI)

Active Comparator group

Description:

Central Executive Training: Inhibitory Control

Treatment:

Behavioral: Central Executive Training: Inhibitory Control